I can still remember how surprised I was when I first started my clematis odyssey by how high the prices were. Despite my initial sticker shock, it ultimately didn’t dissuade me from purchasing more of these unbelievably gorgeous vines. It wasn’t until I had the pleasure of visiting wholesale nurseries that were growing clematis (ranging from 2-inches to 5-gallons) that I gained my real appreciation of what is really involved in growing clematis. And, no matter what size plants they were growing, I found there was one thing that all these nurseries had in common: they were all dealing with an extremely labor-intensive crop.
I’m sure anyone who has grown two or more babies (aka clematis) together can attest to the fact that they grow quite rapidly, and, if left unattended, they can soon become a mass of entangled stems. So, just imagine what would happen if you were growing hundreds or even thousands of clematis and you weren’t out there regularly giving special attention to their every budding need. You would probably end up witnessing a lot of tangling and strangling.
Last year, when my husband Ken and I were visiting Suncrest Wholesale Nursery (one of the Clematis Queen’s favorite clematis growers) in Watsonville, California, I had an opportunity to take some pictures of one of their nursery crews tending to the clematis. It truly was an amazing sight to see all the efforts that was going into keeping their 5-gallon clematis so tidily groomed. I have included some of my photographs to show you the handiwork that the crew exhibited to keep the clematis attached to the bamboo stakes. As you can see, there is a lot of trimming, tying and staking involved in the process. Looking back now, I can only imagine what their staff must have thought about how thrilled I was to see them taking care of the babies. One of the men gave me a peace sign, so I’d like to believe he was just as enamored of the babies as I was.
I should point out that this ongoing process is part of the continual care Suncrest gives its clematis plants. And, for their 5-gallon clematis, this process can take over a year and a half until they are ready for sale. In my opinion, growing commercially is (almost) like giving birth, except that it takes longer than nine months to make the delivery. That’s why I call it a “Labor of Love”.
So, the next time you buy a clematis (or 10), I hope you appreciate all the TLC the babies have received as much as I do. Needless to say, commercially growing clematis requires tremendous patience, so I applaud the continued efforts of the wholesalers to bring us their labors of love! I guess that is why there is the word NURSE in NURSERIES!!!